Category: Sports

By Melia Benetos ‘27

As the end of the winter term approaches, so does the end of winter sports seasons, which means that many swimmers will have to say goodbye to their senior friends as they look toward their futures. The mix of excitement and sadness was echoed by Zuzana Havlíčková ‘26, who reflected on the 2025-2026 season, saying “similarly to the previous year, swim season was very fun. Even though many swimmers graduated last year, many new joined and it was great to be surrounded by people who want to swim and improve every day. I have quite mixed feelings about senior night though. On one side, I am looking forward to it, as I’m sure we are going to have a great time. On the other though, I know that it’s going to be a bit sad as well to have a last home meet here at Sem.” This was Zuzana’s second year doing swimming at Wyoming Seminary. Aidan Benetos ‘26 shared parallel sentiments, emphasizing the strong bonds that the team formed and the emotions surrounding the upcoming senior night: “this year’s swim season has been incredible. I am so proud of all the hard work that everyone has been putting in so far. We were able to achieve amazing things because of how tenacious everyone is and because we all uplift each other. I feel like we were all able to become very close with one another this season, and honestly, I’m sad about senior night coming soon, and saying goodbye to this team and my high school swim career. That being said, I’m also very excited to celebrate all of the work that my fellow seniors and I have done over the years.” Aidan began swimming in his sophomore year and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Abby Ryu ‘26, who participated in swimming for her entire high school path, had a similar experience to Aidan and Zuzana, stating “my experience this season has been definitely different, but in a good way. It’s less competitive but still really fun and the team is close. As senior night as well as districts approach, I’m a little sad, but mainly excited to end my high school swim career on a high note!”

Looking ahead to senior night and the end of incredible high school swim careers, all three Wyoming Seminary swimming seniors feel very emotional, but very excited to celebrate their hard work and experiences. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors alike are sad to say goodbye to their senior friends, but excited to see what path they take as they move on in their lives. Coaches and family members are extremely sentimental but eagerly anticipate what comes next in each senior’s journey. Senior night will be a meaningful celebration of the legacy that these swimmers leave behind, and the bright futures that await them beyond the pool.

By Gia Aiello ‘27

As the fall term winds down, it is important to reflect on the various fall sports teams’ achievements. From extremely close games to full swoops, the Wyoming Seminary girls’ soccer team has shown resilience, passion, and most importantly, teamwork. 

This year, the team showcased not only their athleticism but also their ability to overcome challenges and setbacks. All players faced challenges head-on–from tough opponents to rainy weather to balancing academics with sports. Each game proved as a testament to their determination, with every goal and save reflecting countless hours of practice and preparation.

Led by head coach Dr. Gardner, the team began their preseason in mid-August, determined to improve both individually and collectively. Late afternoon drills, early morning practices, and scrimmages pushed players to their limit in the best way possible. Through this time period, the team bonded. “One thing that’s unique to girls’ soccer is we have a really amazing bond that helps us succeed on and off the field,” said senior team captain Emma Butcher.

Several players emerged as key contributors this season, with Ella Stambaugh leading in goals and Gemma Ciravolo making crucial saves as a goalkeeper. “Being the goalkeeper, I get to be on the field while having a unique advantage point and have authority over my teammates in a leadership way to strive for them to be their best selves,” said Ciravolo. Their amazing performances inspired everyone on the team to strive and be their best. Team captains Mirabaai Reitsma and Emma Butcher also inspired everyone to do their best on and off the field. 

One standout moment this season was the back-and-forth game against Hanover Area on October 11th, ending in a 3-2 score. After the previous loss at senior night, everyone was ready to end the season on a win. Ella Stambaugh, a junior and top scorer, scored the winning goal with a mere 2 minutes to spare! The energy was apparent; everyone was cheering from the sidelines to the bench. This was a great game to end our season and advance into the playoffs.

This season would not have been made possible without the continued support from Dr. Gardner, as well as assistant coaches Ms. McLaughlin and Ms. Gabriel, who pushed the team to work harder but also have fun while playing. From stretching circles in practice to half-time talks during games, there was always laughter and good vibes. “I feel like we’ve all grown very close. There were a lot of laughs. It was very fun” said Stella Guesto, a freshman starter on the team.

With this chapter of Wyoming Seminary Girls Soccer ending, the team celebrates not just the victories but the amazing memories and friendships made. Here’s to another fantastic year of girls’ soccer and many more to come!

By Simran Sharma ‘27

The Wyoming Seminary rowing team was very excited to welcome associate director of athletics and new head coach, Kathryn Brown, to our community. Coach Kathryn Brown joined assistant coach Peter Froelich this year. As the fall term started, Wyoming Seminary rowing geared up for another amazing fall season and welcomed multiple new rowers. Kai Chenette ‘28, a new rower on the team, mentioned how “The team consists of a great group of people and the sport itself requires an amount of discipline and passion that [she] admire [s].”

Along with a new coach, the team also received multiple new boats and equipment from Colgate University and generous donors. Some of the new equipment included was the seashell 1x/2x boat, erg machines, and one men’s and one women’s 4+ boat. The team looked forward to using the new equipment during practice and was excited to kick off this season in the right direction.

The first regatta the rowing team participated in was King’s Head XXXVII Regatta in Bridgeport, PA, on Sunday, September 28th. Multiple Wyoming Seminary boats competed in the race, such as the men’s U15 double, U19 women’s double, U19 men’s single, and the U17 men’s 4+. The men’s U15 double came in third place and had the fastest time over all the sculling boats that had raced for Sem. The U19 women’s double and the U19 men’s single came in last place, but were only a couple of minutes behind the other rowers in their competing category. The U17 men’s 4+ had a great race in a competitive category. Zuzana Havlickova ‘26 said, “This was an incredible experience for all the rowers, and everyone hoped to continue to improve throughout the season.”

After the Navy Day Regatta on October 12th in Philadelphia, PA, was unfortunately canceled due to bad weather, rowers hoped to finish off the season strong when they competed in their final competition of the season, the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta from October 25th to 26th. Looking ahead, the rowers are excited to continue competing in regattas scheduled for the spring term.